Month: September 2017

Coming up on this episode of the Hockey Nuts, Steve and I get you caught up with all of the news of the week around the hockey world. The NHL preseason schedule is winding down, and teams are working hard at paring down their rosters as they prepare for opening night, which is less than a week away. We’ll update you on their progress. We also continue our team by team season previews this week, and this week, we’ll finish them with the Atlantic Division. We’ll have the details of all this plus the minor league minute and our picks of the week

·

Injuries:

· St. Louis Blues forward Robby Fabbri is out for the season after reinjuring his surgically repaired left knee. St. Louis practiced Saturday and Fabbri was not on the ice; he was expected to play Sunday against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Kraft Hockeyville USA game, but the Blues said the 21-year-old reinjured his knee and would be re-evaluated in 10 days. Fabbri tore his left ACL on Feb. 4 against the Pittsburgh Penguins and missed the rest of last season. He had surgery Feb. 28 and was cleared to resume training July 31. The Blues felt Fabbri, who had 29 points (11 goals, 18 assists) in 51 games last season, would be 100 percent this season and were experimenting with moving him back to center. A first-round pick (No. 21) in the 2014 NHL Draft, Fabbri has 29 goals and 37 assists in 123 NHL games. https://www.nhl.com/news/st-louis-blues-forward-robby-fabbri-out-for-season/c-291401688 Jagr?

· Ottawa Senators captain Erik Karlsson skated with his teammates Saturday for the first time since having surgery to repair torn tendons in his left foot on June 14. Karlsson, a two-time Norris Trophy winner as the NHL’s best defenseman, wore a light blue non-contact jersey and did not take part in all the drills during the morning skate at Canadian Tire Centre before a preseason game against the Montreal Canadiens. “It’s a positive thing, but we don’t want to get too excited. It’s a second step,” Senators coach Guy Boucher said. “The first step was to let the therapists tell us when it was adequate to put him on the ice, because you need to get the flexibility and the strength off the ice before we could put [him] on the ice. Yesterday they apparently put the skates on to see how it felt and [went] very lightly on the ice, and they felt he was able this morning [to] get dressed and be with the boys. “Basically, this is the second step, but there’s quite a few steps before we get to him playing. We don’t want him to get too excited.” Boucher said the plan is for Karlsson to take the next two days off and see how his ankle responds. There’s no timetable for his return. The Senators open the regular season against the Washington Capitals on Oct. 5.

· Boston Bruins defenseman Torey Krug will miss the start of the regular season with a non-displaced fracture of his jaw. Krug was hit in the face with the puck in the defensive zone during the second period of the Bruins’ 4-2 win against the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday. The Bruins said Thursday he will be re-evaluated in three weeks. Krug led Boston’s defensemen in scoring last season with 51 points (eight goals, 43 assists). He led the Bruins with 25 power-play points (six goals, 19 assists).

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Other Interesting Stories:

The NHL announced three rule changes for the 2017-18 season. This video explains them as well as directions related to existing rules and equipment reminders. 1. No time out allowed after an icing. Face-off location for High sticking puck during powerplay/shorthand situation used to be different than on 5 on 5. Now it will be the same regardless. 3. If a coaches challenge a goal due to off-side, and are wrong, delay of game is resule, and they will no longer lose their time out. Coaches were using it to help rest players late in games. They also addressed emphasis on several current rules: 1. Slashing 2. Faceoff procedures (player position) 3. Equipment reminders: Pants tuck, visors properly worn. Link to 11+minute video: https://www.nhl.com/news/nhl-rule-changes-for-2017-18-season-explained/c-291420140

Former NHL center Vincent Lecavalier will have his No. 4 retired by the Tampa Bay Lightning before the game against the Los Angeles Kings at Amalie Arena on Feb. 10. Lecavalier, selected by Tampa Bay with the No. 1 pick in the 1998 NHL Draft, had 949 points (421 goals, 528 assists) in 1,212 games with the Lightning, Philadelphia Flyers and Kings. The four-time All-Star won the Stanley Cup in 2004 and the Maurice Richard Trophy as the League’s top goal-scorer with 52 in 2006-07, when he set a Lightning record with 108 points. Lecavalier’s 383 goals are also a Tampa Bay record. Lecavalier, 37, retired on June 21, 2016. He is the second player to have his jersey retired by the Lightning, joining forward Martin St. Louis (No. 26).

It may be the preseason, but the atmosphere certainly had the intensity of a Stanley Cup Playoff game when the St. Louis Blues defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-1 in the third annual Kraft Hockeyville USA game at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex on Sunday. The Penguins, playing in front of 1,500 fans in their practice rink, were the home team after Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania, topped the more than 1,300 entries to win the title. As a result, the Rostraver Ice Garden received $150,000 in renovations and the community had numerous festivities leading up to the game, including a visit from the Stanley Cup.

Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilsonhas been suspended for two preseason games for interference against St. Louis Blues forward Robert Thomas during NHL Preseason Game No. 46 in Washington on Friday, Sept. 22, the National Hockey League’s Department of Player Safety announced today. The incident occurred at 5:47 of the third period.

Forward Erik Cole announced his retirement from the NHL Last Wednesday. Cole, who hasn’t played in the NHL since 2014-15, signed a one-day contract to retire with the Carolina Hurricanes. Following the announcement, Hurricanes president Don Waddell named Cole team ambassador. Cole sustained a spinal contusion March 24, 2015, playing for the Detroit Red Wings against the Arizona Coyotes. That was his final NHL game. “I spent my first summer when I got back here from Detroit trying to prove doctors wrong. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to this time around,” the 38-year-old said. “It wasn’t the first time in my career I’ve been told to retire. For the first year, I sulked a little too much about it. I was a little lost and frustrated about not being able to play. But eventually I started getting on the ice with my son and his hockey team and I started finding more important things to do.” Cole had 363 points (168 goals, 195 assists) in 557 games in nine seasons with the Hurricanes. He scored 59 points (30 goals, 29 assists) in 60 games in 2005-06 and played two Stanley Cup Playoff games during Carolina’s run to its only Stanley Cup championship. Cole finished his NHL career with 532 points (265 goals, 267 assists) in 892 games in 13 seasons for the Hurricanes, Edmonton Oilers, Montreal Canadiens, Dallas Stars and Detroit Red Wings. Cole said he and Hurricanes general manager Ron Francis discussed him returning to play for Carolina but it did not work out. “We had talked pretty openly about the fact that it was pretty disappointing to me, how I really wanted to come back here and do some one-year contracts as long as it worked for me and it worked for them,” Cole said. “[I wanted] to help out and teach what I’ve learned from so many great veterans that I played with here when I was young.”

· Steve: Dynamo Riga 0-12

· Wayne: AHL: As NHL teams cut rosters, a good portion of the players are ending up in AHL camps. The AHL Preseason is under way and their opening night is Friday, October 6. AHL Preseason is much shorter, at 1-3 games. ECHL Preseason goes from 10/5-10/9, and regular season starts 10/13. SPHL preseason 10/13-10/15, and regular season begins 10/20.

· Winston-Salem, NC – The Carolina Thunderbirds have announced they will be holding a Free Agent Camp beginning on Wednesday, Oct. 18th at the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds Annex, located at 414 Deacon Blvd, Winston-Salem, NC 27105. The camp will feature an ice session on Wednesday at 7 PM, two ice sessions on Thursday at 11 AM and 7 PM, and one on Friday at 11 AM. Immediately following the Friday morning skate, the coaching staff will select 28 players and 4 goaltenders to advance. The advancing skaters will continue to Training Camp on Friday, Oct. 20th at 7 PM and Saturday, Oct. 21st at 12 PM and 7 PM. Saturday night will feature an inter squad game. Players who are interested must sign up, and the cost of the camp is $95.All players must report to the arena by 4:00 PM on Oct. 18th. We have arranged a rate at our host hotel, the Winston-Salem Hotel & Spa for just $70 a night. Several meals will also be provided during the camp. The camp is limited and players are encouraged to sign up early by contacting Director of Hockey Operations, Andre Niec at info@carolinathunderbirds.com. Any player attending camp must also provide proof of insurance.

· College gets underway on 9/29! (Tomorrow night)

Picks of the week:

Steve: Now that’s a cool honor. Fans who bought season tickets for the inaugural season of the Vegas Golden Knights had their names embedded in the ice at T-Mobile Arena. They will be visible for all to see starting Tuesday when Vegas plays its first home preseason game against the Los Angeles Kings (10 p.m. ET; NHLN, ATTSN-RM, NHL.TV). The names were printed on to a long paper mat, laid in the neutral zone in the end the Golden Knights defend twice and then frozen into the playing surface. They are laid out in four rows from board to board.

Next scheduled stream:

On or around Wed., 10/4

Topics for Next Show:

Now that we have previewed all 31 teams, next week, we will make our picks of who will win Divisions, Playoff Rounds, and The Stanley Cup. If we have time, we’ll even make our picks for individual awards. Plus we will have our normal weekly coverage of news around the hockey world.

This show is a labor of love for us, but it does cost us money each month to produce. So, we are exploring options to allow you, our listener, to help us cover the costs of producing it. For starters, we have set up affiliate relationships with a couple companies. In the future, we may have more, but for now, you can support us through your purchases at Amazon.com and HockeyMonkey.com (Hockey Monkey is a hockey equipment provider). Your purchases there will not cost you a dime more, but a small percentage of your purchase will come back to us. In order to support us through our affiliates, simply go to our web site at TheHockeyNuts.com, and click on the appropriate affiliate link on the right side of the page. Coming soon: Seatgeek.com

Additionally, we are looking at ways to directly support us through a donation program. For now, if you would like to donate, go to thehockeynuts.com/donate and you will redirected to paypal.

Finally, if you can’t support us financially through one of the programs we just mentioned, you can support us through the following:

Share our show with other hockey fans you know.

If you have the itunes app on your computer or device, subscribe to our show there. It will help us rise up the rankings.

Speaking of itunes, we also encourage you to give us a review on itunes, as it will also help us get noticed more there.

Like, comment, and share our content wherever you see us on various social media pages.

Get involved with the show! We are just a couple hockey fans, and we love interacting with the audience.

Finally, we are looking for guest hosts to come on from time to time. If you feel you can provide more insight on your favorite team or league than we are, let us know! All you would need to join the show is a computer and Skype.

Share this:

Coming up on this episode of the Hockey Nuts, Steve and I get you caught up with all of the news of the week around the hockey world. The NHL preseason schedule is under way, and teams are working hard at paring down their rosters as they prepare for opening night, which is less than 2 weeks away. We’ll update you on their progress. We also continue our team by team season previews this week, and this week, we’ll move east into the Metropoilitan Division. We’ll have the details of all this plus the minor league minute and our picks of the week, coming up next!

Defenseman Jason Demerswas traded by the Florida Panthers to the Arizona Coyotes for forward Jamie McGinn on Sunday. Demers, 29, has four years remaining on a five-year, $22.5 million contract he signed with the Panthers on July 2, 2016, according to CapFriendly.com. In 81 games last season, Demers had 28 points (nine goals, 19 assists), 53 penalty minutes and a minus-14 rating, his worst plus/minus in eight NHL seasons. He has 171 points (37 goals, 134 assists) in 504 games for the Panthers, Dallas Stars and San Jose Sharks. Demers and McGinn, who were teammates with the Sharks from 2009-12, talked on FaceTime after the trade. “He was excited that he was coming here so he could play with me,” McGinn told the newspaper. “I let him know that I was the one going the other way, so he didn’t know.” McGinn, 29, has two years remaining on a three-year, $10 million contract he signed with the Coyotes on July 1, 2016. McGinn had 17 points (nine goals, eight assists) in 72 games for Arizona last season and has 184 points (100 goals, 84 assists) in 522 games during nine NHL seasons with the Coyotes, Sharks, Buffalo Sabres, Anaheim Ducks and Colorado Avalanche.

· Goalie Zehao Sun 21, was signed to an amateur tryout contract by the Canucks on Monday. The Canucks want him to watch and learn and get on the ice here this week to work with goaltending coach Dan Cloutier. He has represented China at the international level, recently coming to the Canucks’ attention via the recommendation of Barry Beck, the defenseman who played 10 seasons in the NHL. Beck played for the Colorado Rockies in the 1970s, spent most of his NHL career with the New York Rangers and came out of retirement to finish his career in Los Angeles, playing 52 games with the Kings in 1989-90. He has been based in Hong Kong and runs the Hong Kong Academy of Ice Hockey, and told Canucks executive Stan Smyl about Sun. Beck said Sun helped assist the academy when it held a youth tournament in Beijing, praising his work ethic and ability. For the Canucks, the move to include Sun worked on multiple levels. The 2017 China Games are about promoting the sport, and Sun’s addition to the roster for this week did that with national media on hand. It also helped the Canucks manage their roster more efficiently. “We’re kind of taking it day by day,” Canucks coach Travis Green said. “We went back and forth with bringing a third goalie with us. It’s a long way for someone to come and not play and only two practices. We’ll probably get him on the ice tomorrow. “No, he will not be playing in games,” Green said. “This is an experience for him and, like I said, we contemplated bringing a third goalie over. Even if we brought a third goalie over, he was not going to play in games. We wanted our two regular goalies to play in the games. If someone got hurt, he would definitely back up.” Sun thanked Beck, and others, for helping him get the opportunity of a lifetime. He also recognized the larger implications of this week for his country. “Now the good news is that NHL is coming to China already and bringing a very brilliant game to China, for the Chinese people to know the top players in the world,” Sun said. “Also, it can help to increase the atmosphere in China, to help people know more about ice hockey.” Followup: https://www.nhl.com/news/zehao-sun-makes-saves-in-net-against-sedins/c-291200728

·

Injuries:

· New Jersey Devils center Brian Boyle has been diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia. “I feel very fortunate and very blessed,” Boyle said Tuesday. “We’ve had a tremendous outpouring of prayers, and if there’s anything I can ask it’s that that continues. That is something that I’ve seen firsthand heal cancers and heal situations that are said to be untreatable. For us, we’re in a good spot. We think we have a good plan of attack here and I’m looking forward to getting on the ice and playing. The disease, known as CML, is a type of cancer of the bone marrow that is largely treatable with medication. Dr. Michael Farber said Boyle is in the early stages of the disease, which was revealed by blood tests taken Thursday during Boyle’s training camp physical. “We are awaiting further test results that will help guide management and any possible return to play,” Farber said. Boyle, 32, signed a two-year, $5.5 million contract with the Devils on July 1. He had 25 points (13 goals, 12 assists) in 75 games for the Tampa Bay Lightning and Toronto Maple Leafs last season (the Maple Leafs acquired Boyle in a trade with the Lightning on Feb. 27). He has 169 points (93 goals, 76 assists) in 624 games for the Maple Leafs, Lightning, New York Rangers and Los Angeles Kings, and 28 points (15 goals, 13 assists) in 106 Stanley Cup Playoff games in 10 NHL seasons. https://www.nhl.com/news/new-jersey-devils-brian-boyle-has-leukemia/c-291181794

· St. Louis Blues defenseman Jay Bouwmeester will be re-evaluated in three weeks because of a fractured left ankle. He was injured during a scrimmage Sunday. Bouwmeester, 33, had 15 points (one goal, 14 assists), was plus-6, and averaged 22:24 of ice time in 81 games last season. His ice time rose to 24:15 during 11 games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. In 14 NHL seasons with the Blues, Florida Panthers and Calgary Flames, Bouwmeester has 391 points (82 goals, 309 assists) in 1,071 games. Since coming into the NHL in 2002-03, no defenseman has played more games. The Blues also announced forward Zach Sanford will have surgery to repair a dislocated left shoulder and will be out 5-6 months. He was injured during the first day of training camp. Sanford, 22, had five points (two goals, three assists) in 13 games with the Blues after being acquired as part of the trade that sent defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk to the Washington Capitals on Feb. 27.

· Ottawa Senators forward Colin White will miss the start of the regular season with a broken left wrist, general manager Pierre Dorion said Tuesday. White is expected to need 6-8 weeks to recover. He was injured blocking a shot during the third period of a 6-2 preseason win against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday. The No. 21 pick in the 2015 NHL Draft had an opportunity to start the season in the NHL with center Derick Brassard recovering from shoulder surgery on June 6.

· Anaheim Ducks center Ryan Kesler is out indefinitely after having offseason hip surgery. “As of right now, there is no timeline whatsoever,” general manager Bob Murray told the Ducks website Friday. “He couldn’t skate [during the second half of the season]. No push-off on his right leg. He has to rebuild his glutes and quads. That’s what we’re in the process of doing right now. I’m hopeful to have him back before Christmas, but that’s all I’m going to say right now.” Kesler, 33, had surgery in Colorado on June 8 to remove several pieces of floating hip capsule, an ailment that limited his mobility and goal-scoring during the second half of last season. He had 58 points (22 goals, 36 assists) in 82 games last season, and had eight points (one goal, seven assists) in 17 Stanley Cup Playoff games. The Ducks advanced to the Western Conference Final before losing to the Nashville Predators in six games. The Ducks also will begin the season without defensemen Sami Vatanen and Hampus Lindholm, who each had offseason surgery to fix a torn labrum. Murray said he’s hopeful they will be able to return by Nov. 1. Lindholm, 23, took a step back from his first three seasons with the Ducks. He had NHL career lows in points (20), shots on goal (94) and games (66), and had five power-play points after finishing with 15 in 2015-16. Vatanen regressed to 24 points (three goals, 21 assists) in 71 games after having at least 37 points in back-to-back seasons. He also had a 2.6 shooting percent on 117 SOG; his NHL average is 7.0.

Other Interesting Stories:

Forwards Brady Tkachuk and Oliver Wahlstrom, each a projected first-round pick in the 2018 NHL Draft, will lead opposing teams at the CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game at KeyBank Center on Thursday. The sixth annual game features 42 of the top United States-born players chosen by USA Hockey in conjunction with NHL Central Scouting. “The game has an interesting mix of draft-eligible prospects from all levels of hockey and from all areas of the country,” said Dan Marr, director of NHL Central Scouting. “These players bring quite a cross section of talent and they have been identified at this early stage of the season as some of the top prospects from the United States. It will give NHL scouts a good sneak preview of the 2018 NHL Draft class.” Tkachuk (6-foot-2, 194 pounds), who will play for Team Brian Leetch, is a freshman at Boston University and is considered a candidate to be a top-five pick. He had 54 points (25 goals, 29 assists) in 61 games for USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program under-18 team last season. He is the son of United States Hockey Hall of Fame member Keith Tkachuk and brother of Calgary Flames forward Matthew Tkachuk. Oliver Wahlstrom (6-1, 205) will lead Team Chris Chelios. He’ll play this season for NTDP U-18 after he had 25 points (14 goals, 11 assists) in 43 games for the NTDP U-17 team and 15 points (10 goals, five assists) in 20 games for NTDP U-18 last season. He’s committed to Harvard University in 2018-19. Wahlstrom is known most for this viral Youtube vid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TxGVSw6Ayw No word on TV/streaming coverage. tv?

Ovechkin releases statement regarding Olympics: “I wanted to make this statement so that my words are clear and nobody misunderstands what I am saying. The Olympics are in my blood and everybody knows how much I love my country. Ever since I was a kid and all the time I have played in the NHL, NHL players have played in the Olympic Games. We never have to make choice between our team and our country my whole career. I love the Capitals and my teammates here as much as I love my country and I know all the other NHL players feel the same for their teams. We should not have to be in position to make this choice. My mom was a two-time Olympic champion and when I start to play hockey I dream that if I have chance to play for my country I will do it every time they ask me. Ever since I was teenager I have played for Junior Russia National team whenever they ask me to. Ever since I was good enough to play on Men’s National Team, whenever they ask me I play. When they ask me to be part of Olympics Closing Ceremony in Vancouver before Sochi get the Olympic Games I said ok let’s do it. When they ask me to be Ambassador for Sochi Olympic Games I did it. When they ask me to go to Greece and be first Russian to carry Olympic flame on way to Sochi I do it. When they ask me to play in World Cup I do it. I am proud that we win on Junior team and for the National team in World Championships but we do not win the most important thing yet. Olympic Gold Medal. I see the news this week and I am very disappointed that IOC, IIHF and NHL put me and all NHL players in this position when some of the best players in world do not have chance to play in the Olympic Games. This is not just about me but all the NHL players who want to play and have a chance to win Gold for their country. Our countries are now not allowed to ask us to play in the Olympics. Me, my teammates and all players who want to go all lose. So do all the fans of hockey with this decision that we are not allowed to be invited. NHL players in the Olympics is good for hockey and good for Olympics. It sucks that will we not be there to play!! I said every time I was asked since last Olympics that nobody is going to tell me I can’t play because my country was going to be allowed to ask me. Now the IIHF and NHL say my country is not allowed to ask anybody in the NHL to play and there is nothing to talk about anymore. I talk to Ted about this last year and he support me and have my back and understand what I want to do if I was allowed to be asked to go. Me and my family thank him for his support. There is nothing like Olympic Games. It is still my dream to win an Olympic Gold medal for my country. I hope things will change and all of us will have a chance to go again in 2022. What’s most important to remember is kids have lots of dreams. My focus as it always is this time of year is on my other dream as a kid, to try to win the Stanley Cup. I am excited training camp has started in Washington and the time for talking is done. We just have to go out and do it and I will try my hardest to help my teammates win like I do every year since I came to the NHL.”

· Steve:

· Steve: New Jersey Devils center Brian Boyle has been diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia. “I feel very fortunate and very blessed,” Boyle said Tuesday. “We’ve had a tremendous outpouring of prayers, and if there’s anything I can ask it’s that that continues. That is something that I’ve seen firsthand heal cancers and heal situations that are said to be untreatable. For us, we’re in a good spot. We think we have a good plan of attack here and I’m looking forward to getting on the ice and playing. The disease, known as CML, is a type of cancer of the bone marrow that is largely treatable with medication. Dr. Michael Farber said Boyle is in the early stages of the disease, which was revealed by blood tests taken Thursday during Boyle’s training camp physical. “We are awaiting further test results that will help guide management and any possible return to play,” Farber said. Boyle, 32, signed a two-year, $5.5 million contract with the Devils on July 1. He had 25 points (13 goals, 12 assists) in 75 games for the Tampa Bay Lightning and Toronto Maple Leafs last season (the Maple Leafs acquired Boyle in a trade with the Lightning on Feb. 27). He has 169 points (93 goals, 76 assists) in 624 games for the Maple Leafs, Lightning, New York Rangers and Los Angeles Kings, and 28 points (15 goals, 13 assists) in 106 Stanley Cup Playoff games in 10 NHL seasons. https://www.nhl.com/news/new-jersey-devils-brian-boyle-has-leukemia/c-291181794

This show is a labor of love for us, but it does cost us money each month to produce. So, we are exploring options to allow you, our listener, to help us cover the costs of producing it. For starters, we have set up affiliate relationships with a couple companies. In the future, we may have more, but for now, you can support us through your purchases at Amazon.com and HockeyMonkey.com (Hockey Monkey is a hockey equipment provider). Your purchases there will not cost you a dime more, but a small percentage of your purchase will come back to us. In order to support us through our affiliates, simply go to our web site at TheHockeyNuts.com, and click on the appropriate affiliate link on the right side of the page. Coming soon: Seatgeek.com

Additionally, we are looking at ways to directly support us through a donation program. For now, if you would like to donate, go to thehockeynuts.com/donate and you will redirected to paypal.

Finally, if you can’t support us financially through one of the programs we just mentioned, you can support us through the following:

Share our show with other hockey fans you know.

If you have the itunes app on your computer or device, subscribe to our show there. It will help us rise up the rankings.

Speaking of itunes, we also encourage you to give us a review on itunes, as it will also help us get noticed more there.

Like, comment, and share our content wherever you see us on various social media pages.

Get involved with the show! We are just a couple hockey fans, and we love interacting with the audience.

Finally, we are looking for guest hosts to come on from time to time. If you feel you can provide more insight on your favorite team or league than we are, let us know! All you would need to join the show is a computer and Skype.

Share this:

Coming up on this episode of the Hockey Nuts, Steve and I get you caught up with all of the player transactions that have been going on since we last recorded. Free Agency and Player Signings are the big part of the news this time of year, every team is working hard to fill all of their vacant roster spots. We also begin our team by team season previews this week, and this week, we’ll be focusing on the Central Division. We’ll have the details of all this plus the minor league minute and our picks of the week, coming up next!

We are back to weekly shows, and this week, we start to preview the upcoming NHL season. We’ll take a look at all 31 teams over the next 4 weeks and tell you what to expect this season. This week, we look at all the teams in the Central division. Plus, we’ll have all the other headlines from around the league.

This show is a labor of love for us, but it does cost us money each month to produce. So, we are exploring options to allow you, our listener, to help us cover the costs of producing it. For starters, we have set up affiliate relationships with a couple companies. In the future, we may have more, but for now, you can support us through your purchases at Amazon.com and HockeyMonkey.com (Hockey Monkey is a hockey equipment provider). Your purchases there will not cost you a dime more, but a small percentage of your purchase will come back to us. In order to support us through our affiliates, simply go to our web site at TheHockeyNuts.com, and click on the appropriate affiliate link on the right side of the page. Coming soon: Seatgeek.com

Additionally, we are looking at ways to directly support us through a donation program. For now, if you would like to donate, go to thehockeynuts.com/donate and you will redirected to paypal.

Finally, if you can’t support us financially through one of the programs we just mentioned, you can support us through the following:

Share our show with other hockey fans you know.

If you have the itunes app on your computer or device, subscribe to our show there. It will help us rise up the rankings.

Speaking of itunes, we also encourage you to give us a review on itunes, as it will also help us get noticed more there.

Like, comment, and share our content wherever you see us on various social media pages.

Get involved with the show! We are just a couple hockey fans, and we love interacting with the audience.

Finally, we are looking for guest hosts to come on from time to time. If you feel you can provide more insight on your favorite team or league than we are, let us know! All you would need to join the show is a computer and Skype.

· The Calgary Flames will no longer pursue a new arena in the city, president Ken King said Tuesday. “The owners group are pretty clear, pretty definite, on their view on that,” King told the Flames website. “The building’s very important. We’ve been working on it for a long time. But it doesn’t look like we’re going to get there. And I think it’s time we stopped pretending and we’re a little honest with our fans and our city on that fact.” Talks stalled when Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi balked at spending taxpayer money on a new building, Sportsnet said. “We’ll just go on and run our business and do what we can to figure out what the future will look like later,” King said. He said the Flames are not actively seeking a new home. “We’re not talking about relocation. We’re talking about (upcoming) training camp,” King said. “We’re not shopping.” Scotiabank Saddledome has been the Flames’ home since it opened in 1983 and is the oldest arena that has not been renovated in use in the NHL. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman has said the Flames need a new arena. “I think everybody knows the new arena is important on a whole host of levels for a whole host of reasons,” he said March 15 in Calgary. “You’ve got to get from here to there, and since I tend to be an optimist by nature I’m hoping that on both sides, not that there are sides, but the city and the Flames can figure this out. … It’s important. It’s vitally important that it gets done.” “We’ll just operate as long as we can and work as hard as we can,” King said. “We’ve made it work for 36 years. I guess we’re going to have to make it work a little while longer.”

· Still no contract for David Pastrnak

· NHL Network announced its preseason schedule Tuesday, featuring more than 20 games including the Vegas Golden Knights’ first game, against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena on Sunday (5 p.m. ET). The network will air four Golden Knights preseason games, three against Pacific Division opponents: the Canucks, Los Angeles Kings on Sept. 26 (10 p.m. ET) and San Jose Sharks on Oct. 1 (8 p.m. ET). In addition, the network will air the Detroit Red Wings’ first game at Little Caesars Arena, against the Boston Bruins on Sept. 23 (7 p.m. ET). The defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins will face their 2017 Eastern Conference First Round opponent, the Columbus Blue Jackets, in each team’s final preseason game at PPG Paints Arena on Sept. 30 (3 p.m. ET). NHL Network will also air the second game of the 2017 NHL China Games between the Kings and Canucks at Wukesong Arena in Beijing on Sept. 23 (3:30 a.m. ET), and the 2017 Kraft Hockeyville Canada game between the New Jersey Devils and Ottawa Senators in O’Leary, Prince Edward Island, on Sept. 25 (6 p.m. ET).

This show is a labor of love for us, but it does cost us money each month to produce. So, we are exploring options to allow you, our listener, to help us cover the costs of producing it. For starters, we have set up affiliate relationships with a couple companies. In the future, we may have more, but for now, you can support us through your purchases at Amazon.com and HockeyMonkey.com (Hockey Monkey is a hockey equipment provider). Your purchases there will not cost you a dime more, but a small percentage of your purchase will come back to us. In order to support us through our affiliates, simply go to our web site at TheHockeyNuts.com, and click on the appropriate affiliate link on the right side of the page. Coming soon: Seatgeek.com

Additionally, we are looking at ways to directly support us through a donation program. For now, if you would like to donate, go to thehockeynuts.com/donate and you will redirected to paypal.

Finally, if you can’t support us financially through one of the programs we just mentioned, you can support us through the following:

Share our show with other hockey fans you know.

If you have the itunes app on your computer or device, subscribe to our show there. It will help us rise up the rankings.

Speaking of itunes, we also encourage you to give us a review on itunes, as it will also help us get noticed more there.

Like, comment, and share our content wherever you see us on various social media pages.

Get involved with the show! We are just a couple hockey fans, and we love interacting with the audience.

Finally, we are looking for guest hosts to come on from time to time. If you feel you can provide more insight on your favorite team or league than we are, let us know! All you would need to join the show is a computer and Skype.

Share this:

Coming up on this episode of the Hockey Nuts, Steve and I get you caught up with all of the player transactions that have been going on since we last recorded. Free Agency and Player Signings are the big part of the news this time of year, every team is working hard to fill all of their vacant roster spots. We also begin our team by team season previews this week, and this week, we’ll be focusing on the Pacific Division. Plus, one of us got a chance to rub elbows with two current NHL referees. We’ll have the details of all this and more, coming up next.

We are back to weekly shows, and this week, we start to preview the upcoming NHL season. We’ll take a look at all 31 teams over the next 4 weeks and tell you what to expect this season. This week, we look at all the teams in the Pacific division. Plus, we’ll have all the other headlines from around the league, and I’ll tell you about the USA Hockey referee seminar I attended where we had a talk with 2 current NHL referees.

This show is a labor of love for us, but it does cost us money each month to produce. So, we are exploring options to allow you, our listener, to help us cover the costs of producing it. For starters, we have set up affiliate relationships with a couple companies. In the future, we may have more, but for now, you can support us through your purchases at Amazon.com and HockeyMonkey.com (Hockey Monkey is a hockey equipment provider). Your purchases there will not cost you a dime more, but a small percentage of your purchase will come back to us. In order to support us through our affiliates, simply go to our web site at TheHockeyNuts.com, and click on the appropriate affiliate link on the right side of the page. Coming soon: Seatgeek.com

Additionally, we are looking at ways to directly support us through a donation program. For now, if you would like to donate, go to thehockeynuts.com/donate and you will redirected to paypal.

Finally, if you can’t support us financially through one of the programs we just mentioned, you can support us through the following:

Share our show with other hockey fans you know.

If you have the itunes app on your computer or device, subscribe to our show there. It will help us rise up the rankings.

Speaking of itunes, we also encourage you to give us a review on itunes, as it will also help us get noticed more there.

Like, comment, and share our content wherever you see us on various social media pages.

Get involved with the show! We are just a couple hockey fans, and we love interacting with the audience.

Finally, we are looking for guest hosts to come on from time to time. If you feel you can provide more insight on your favorite team or league than we are, let us know! All you would need to join the show is a computer and Skype.

· Jimmy Vesey 2.0: Defenseman Will Butcher agreed to a two-year, entry-level contract with the New Jersey Devils on Sunday. It has an average annual value of $925,000. Butcher, 22, became a free agent after not signing with the Colorado Avalanche, who selected him in the fifth round (No. 123) of the 2013 NHL Draft. Butcher reportedly also considered the Buffalo Sabres, Los Angeles Kings and Vegas Golden Knights. Butcher won the Hobey Baker Award as the top player in NCAA Division I men’s hockey last season. He had 37 points (seven goals, 30 assists) in 43 games for the University of Denver, which won the NCAA championship. “He has an elite level brain and really good poise,” Jim Montgomery, Butcher’s coach at Denver, said last week. “Every time he touches the puck, it’s going to be a positive outcome because he makes great decisions, so that’s the No. 1 thing that stands out to me. “He’s improved as far as his gap control and with how he angles people and moves his feet to take away time and space, and another thing special about him is his transitional passing.” Montgomery, who had a 12-year professional playing career, compared Butcher’s style to former NHL defenseman Andrei Markov, who played 16 NHL seasons and had 572 points (119 goals, 453 assists) in 990 regular-season games. The Associated Press reported that Butcher can make an additional $850,000 in bonuses. All is not lost for Colorado though. The Avalanche on Thursday signed college free agent forward Alex Kerfoot, who was a finalist for the Hobey Baker won by Butcher. Kerfoot was selected by the Devils in the fifth round (No. 150) of the 2012 NHL Draft. Devils Cap Friendly: https://www.capfriendly.com/teams/devils

· Representatives for restricted free agent forward David Pastrnak and Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney were expected to resume negotiations for a new contract Friday, Bruins president Cam Neely told the Boston Herald. “I feel confident we can get something done,” Neely said. “I think David has expressed that he loves it here and wants to play here. We want him here as long as it makes sense for us.” The Bruins made an offer of $6 million per season for six or seven seasons earlier this offseason, the Herald reported, but Neely said there has been little activity since. Pastrnak, 21, had 70 points (34 goals, 36 assists) in 75 games in 2016-17, by far the best of his three NHL seasons. The 25th pick in the 2014 NHL Draft, he has 123 points (59 goals, 64 assists) in 172 NHL games, all with the Bruins. His previous 2 seasons were: 51GP, 15-11-26 and 46GP, 10-17-27. The Draisaitl contract is likely working against Boston. Draisaitl signed a 8-yr $68M (8.5/yr) on 8/16. Draisaitl (#3 in 2014) had 29-48-77 in 82 GP last season, and 51 pts in 72 GP the season before.

· Ottawa Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson is planning to make his 2017-18 season debut in October, but playing opening night is a long shot because he still hasn’t skated since having surgery on four torn tendons in his left foot June 14. The Senators open the season against the Washington Capitals at Canadian Tire Centre on Oct. 5.

· Florida Panthers players, their families and their pets will evacuate South Florida on Friday in anticipation of Hurricane Irma making landfall there this weekend, with some members of the organization staying behind to help with relief efforts. Panthers president Matthew Caldwell spent the past couple of days trying to make plans to get everyone who was in Sunrise, Florida, for training camp and the now-cancelled rookie tournament out before the storm hits. The plane is scheduled to leave Friday morning for Boston carrying players Aleksander Barkov, Jason Demers, Aaron Ekblad, Roberto Luongo, Derek MacKenzie, Mike Matheson, James Reimer, Vincent Trocheck and Radim Vrbata, along with Brandon Pirri, who was signed on a tryout; rookies; coaching staff; trainers; members of hockey operations; and everyone’s family members and their pets (20 in total). The Panthers’ charter services don’t begin until the preseason, so Caldwell had to scramble to arrange for a plane from Swift Air, part-owned by Panthers owner Vinnie Viola. The plane has more cargo space than their normal aircraft to hold all of the necessary hockey equipment. The Panthers chose Boston because of its proximity to their AHL affiliate in Springfield, Massachusetts and will begin training camp there on Sept. 23 if they are unable to return to Sunrise. Caldwell estimates the cost to evacuate will be about $150,000.

· Coach Paul Maurice and general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff each had his contract extended by the Winnipeg Jets, TSN reported Wednesday. They were scheduled to expire following this season, according to the report. Terms of the extension were not disclosed. Maurice, 50, replaced Claude Noel on Jan. 12, 2014, and went 43-26-13 in his first full season (2014-15) to help the Jets make their only Stanley Cup Playoff appearance since they relocated from Atlanta in 2011. He’s 136-112-33 as Jets coach, and 596-569-101 with 99 ties in 20 NHL seasons with the Hartford Whalers, Carolina Hurricanes, Toronto Maple Leafs and Winnipeg. Maurice coached the Hurricanes to the Stanley Cup Final in 2002, losing to the Detroit Red Wings in five games. Cheveldayoff, 47, has been Jets GM since 2011. Winnipeg is 216-191-51 since he was hired. The Jets finished 40-35-7 last season, seven points behind the Nashville Predators for the second wild card into the playoffs from the Western Conference.

· The rookie tournament scheduled for Sept. 9-12 between the Florida Panthers, Nashville Predators, Tampa Bay Lightning and Washington Capitals at Germain Arena in Estero, Florida, has been canceled because of the expected impact of Hurricane Irma. “We encourage our fans, staff and members of our community to prepare wisely and stay safe throughout the duration of this storm,” Panthers president and CEO Matthew Caldwell said. “Our strength as a community will guide us the through the difficult times ahead.” The Predators announced Wednesday they will host the Lightning for a three-game rookie camp series at Ford Ice Center in Antioch, Tennessee. The first game will be played Saturday, Sept. 9, at 2 p.m. CT, the second Sunday, Sept. 10, at noon, and the third Tuesday, Sept. 12, at 11 a.m. All three games will be open to the public, and the Predators will collect $10 donations at the door to benefit Irma relief.

· Former Arizona Coyotes forward Shane Doan announced his retirement last Wednesday. Doan, 40, had been an unrestricted free agent. The Coyotes had informed Doan on June 17 that they would not be re-signing him. Selected by the Winnipeg Jets with the No. 7 pick of the 1995 NHL Draft, Doan had spent his entire 21-season NHL career with the Jets/Coyotes franchise, which moved to Arizona from Winnipeg in 1996. Doan made the announcement in a letter to fans published in The Arizona Republic. Doan had 27 points (six goals, 27 assists) in 74 games last season, which also was his 13th as Coyotes captain. In 1,540 NHL games, he had 972 points (402 goals, 570 assists). He’s the Jets/Coyotes leader in all four categories. He’s also one of nine players in NHL history to have played at least 21 seasons with the same franchise; three played more games with one organization than Doan did (Gordie Howe, 1,687, Detroit Red Wings; Nicklas Lidstrom, 1,584, Red Wings; Alex Delvecchio, 1,549, Red Wings). He’s tied for 14th for most games played in NHL history. The Coyotes released a statement congratulating Doan on his career: “On behalf of the entire Arizona Coyotes organization, our fans and our corporate partners, we would like to thank Shane for everything that he’s done for our franchise over the past 21 years. Shane had an incredible career on the ice and we are very proud of everything that he accomplished in a Coyotes uniform. He will be remembered as one of the greatest captains in NHL history. Off the ice, Shane was a great ambassador for growing the game of hockey in Arizona and his contributions to the community are immeasurable. Shane will be a Coyote for life. Thank you Captain!” Doan played in the NHL All-Star Game in 2004 and 2009, and in 2010 he won the King Clancy Memorial Trophy, which is awarded to the player who exemplifies leadership on and off the ice and has made a significant humanitarian contribution to his community.

· Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne will be honored by the Anaheim Ducks following their Nov. 13 induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame, prior to the game against the Florida Panthers at Honda Center on Nov. 19. “Paul and I are honored that the Ducks will host this special night at Honda Center,” Selanne said. “I’m also very happy that several local charities will benefit from this event. We’re looking forward to sharing this night with our fans.” Kariya and Selanne will appear together on Honda Center ice for the first time since they combined for three goals (two by Kariya) in the Ducks’ 4-0 win against the Los Angeles Kings on March 4, 2001. The duo totaled 783 points in 308 games with Anaheim. Kariya and Selanne will appear together on Honda Center ice for the first time since they combined for three goals (two by Kariya) in the Ducks’ 4-0 win against the Los Angeles Kings on March 4, 2001. The duo totaled 783 points in 308 games with Anaheim. Elected to the Hall of Fame in his fifth year of eligibility, Kariya was the first pick (No. 4) in Anaheim franchise history at the 1993 NHL Draft. He was a three-time First All-Star Team selection, and finished his NHL career with 989 points (402 goals, 587 assists) in 989 games with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, Colorado Avalanche, Nashville Predators and St. Louis Blues. Selanne was elected in his first year of eligibility after he had 1,457 points (684 goals, 773 assists) in 1,451 games over 21 NHL seasons with the Ducks, Winnipeg Jets, San Jose Sharks and Colorado Avalanche. He scored 76 goals as a rookie with the Jets and won the Stanley Cup with the Ducks in 2007. Kariya and Selanne headline the Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 2017. Former NHL players Mark Recchi and Dave Andreychuk, retired Canadian women’s ice hockey player Danielle Goyette, Boston Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs and college hockey coach Clare Drake will also be inducted.

· The home of the Toronto Maple Leafs will be renamed Scotiabank Arena in July as part of a 20-year strategic partnership, it was announced Tuesday. The building has been known as Air Canada Centre since opening in February 1999. “For the past 18 years, Air Canada Centre has not only been home to the Maple Leafs and [Toronto] Raptors [of the NBA], it has also hosted hundreds of the most popular concerts and events in the industry, helping contribute to Toronto’s well-deserved reputation as one of the top sports and entertainment destinations in the world,” said Larry Tanenbaum, chairman of the board for Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, the parent company of the Maple Leafs. “We are grateful to Scotiabank for their continued support and this expanded partnership as we look ahead to what we expect to be 20 of the most exciting years in Toronto sports and entertainment history.”

· KHL is the only league to have begun the 2017-2018 Season so far…

· Steve: Kovalchuk

· Wayne: Nigel Dawes Hat Trick on 9/6 in a wild game between Barys Astana and Salavat Yulaev: http://en.khl.ru/news/2017/09/06/357436.html Other news: SKA almost perfect at 5-0-2, 9/7 is 6 year anniversary of the Lokomotiv plane crash.

Picks of the week:

Steve: Tuukka Rask

· Wayne: Referee clinic last weekend, and once again, 2 NHL Referees came to talk with us: Francois St. Laurent and Frederick L’Ecuyer live locally, and have been coming to talk to the level 3 guys the last few years. This year, a big part of the discussion was the fallout over L’Ecuyer’s F-bombs that were dropped with his arena mic open, so everyone in the arena and TV heard it. It happened on 1/26/17 in Columbus in a game between Columbus and Nashville. They also talked about each other’s path up through the ranks.

This show is a labor of love for us, but it does cost us money each month to produce. So, we are exploring options to allow you, our listener, to help us cover the costs of producing it. For starters, we have set up affiliate relationships with a couple companies. In the future, we may have more, but for now, you can support us through your purchases at Amazon.com and HockeyMonkey.com (Hockey Monkey is a hockey equipment provider). Your purchases there will not cost you a dime more, but a small percentage of your purchase will come back to us. In order to support us through our affiliates, simply go to our web site at TheHockeyNuts.com, and click on the appropriate affiliate link on the right side of the page. Coming soon: Seatgeek.com

Additionally, we are looking at ways to directly support us through a donation program. For now, if you would like to donate, go to thehockeynuts.com/donate and you will redirected to paypal.

Finally, if you can’t support us financially through one of the programs we just mentioned, you can support us through the following:

Share our show with other hockey fans you know.

If you have the itunes app on your computer or device, subscribe to our show there. It will help us rise up the rankings.

Speaking of itunes, we also encourage you to give us a review on itunes, as it will also help us get noticed more there.

Like, comment, and share our content wherever you see us on various social media pages.

Get involved with the show! We are just a couple hockey fans, and we love interacting with the audience.

Finally, we are looking for guest hosts to come on from time to time. If you feel you can provide more insight on your favorite team or league than we are, let us know! All you would need to join the show is a computer and Skype.